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The Kuiper Belt size distribution constrained by Stellar Occultations

Authors: Roques, F.; Doressoundiram, A.; Dhillon, V.; Marsh, T.; Kavellars, JJ; Bickerton, S.; Peixinho, N.; Fitzsimmons, A.; Colas, F.; Lecacheux, J.; Pau, S.; Belskaya, I.; Mousis, O.

Ref.: American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #36, #03.09; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society 36, 1069 (2004)

Abstract: Simultaneous observations of target stars in the ecliptic have been performed at the Pic du Midi Observatory in december 2003 with the 2-m TBL and the T1M telescopes with multi-objects photometers in order to search for small Kuiper Belt Objects by stellar occultations. 9 hours of good S/N data have been obtained. Observations have also been performed in april 2004 with the 4-m William Hershel Telescope in Canarias with the ultra-fast, triple beam camera Ultracam. The flux of two stars have been recorded with a time frequency of 40 Hz in three wavelengths, 3500 A, 4700A and 7700 A. The comparison of the simultaneous ligthcurves of the two stars, separated by a few arcseconds, allow discrimination of false events. The target stars have been chosen to optimize the brightness/apparent size ratio. The stars radii, projected at 40 AU, are less than 100 meters. Then, the occultation is a diffracting phenomenon whose spectral signature can be tested. These observations bring strong constraints on the low end of the size distribution of the Kuiper Belt objects, 100 meters to 1 km. The results and the events are presented and analyzed. This work was supported by the Programme National de Planetologie

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